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Winners and Losers in 2015
It wasn't the best year for the stock market overall, with the Dow Jones Industrial dropping a net 200 points over 2015 while the S+P 500 dipped by 50 points. The broader picture doesn't do justice to some of the biggest gainers, however, who enjoyed as much as double the returns on the investment from January 1st to December 31st. At the last tally of the last ticker, who were the biggest winners and losers in 2015?
Winner: Netflix
Unless you have neither a television nor an Internet connection, odds are good that you've been inundated with news about Netflix (NFLX on the NASDAQ, trading for $112.22 a share) all year. The entertainment company that started as a modest video-rental rival to Blockbuster has become a titan of the industry. The streaming video service provider beat every other stock in the top 500 this year, posting a mammoth 134% gain from start to finish. There's no shortage of reasons why investors love Netflix: not only are they light-years ahead of the competition of Amazon and Apple TV streaming services in providing options, but they've forged their own path to develop highly-rated original shows like House of Cards and Orange is the Net Black that enjoy stellar ratings. George Soros reportedly purchased no less than a quarter of a million shares of Netflix this year, and can't have been unhappy with the return. While there's little value here, there's still plenty of room for growth: Netflix is now available in nearly every country in the world and wants to double the quantity of their available content by the end of 2016. It's hard to find a company with more ambition.
Loser: Chesapeake Energy Corporation
Not quite the sexiest name in the S+P, Chesapeake (CHK on the NYSE, trading for $4.43 a share) downright took it on the chin during 2015. The drop in the price of oil and natural gas made it too difficult to profit off of their sole product. With a relatively mild winter and summer, furthermore, less energy was needed for heating and cooling this year. While ten of the eleven worst-performing stocks in the S+P were in the energy sector, none did worse that CEC, who lost no less than 77% of their asking price in just 365 days. Oversupply of natural gas, furthermore, made it hard for Chesapeake to sell at a premium. Should investors consider buying Chesapeake shares while the value is low? It takes a special combination of bravery and foolishness to say yes: energy remains cheap and plentiful across the world, not just on the eastern seaboard, especially as new pockets of massive supply continue to be uncovered. Chesapeake will need to drastically change its business strategy in order to avoid being de-listed -- and perhaps even filing for bankruptcy -- in the immediate future.
Winner: Activision Blizzard
We'll take the opportunity to point out we've been bullish on Activision Blizzard (ATVI on the NASDAQ, trading for $36.06 a share) for quite some time now. Their video games not only sell well, but retain a fantastically loyal customer base, meaning that it will take an asteroid-sized competitor to show them up at their own game. Activision has the rights to print money due to two main franchises, their Call of Duty and Warcraft intellectual properties, both of which have a tendency to sell games in the tens of millions. Furthermore, they made a delicious splash in November by acquiring King Entertainment, the makers of the Candy Crush mobile games that your daughter or wife is likely addicted to. Nor is Activision sitting on its laurels: it'll release a new game series called Overwatch in 2016 as well as a Warcraft movie and a TV show based on their Skylanders game. Even so, Activision stock is surprisingly cheap: archrivals EA trade for twice their value. There's plenty of room for Activision to grow further.
Loser: Fossil Group
While this list could contain nothing but losers from the energy industry, it's important to point out how Fossil Group (FOSL on the NASDAQ, trading for $30.49 a share) has failed to reinvent itself for today's consumer audience. Indeed, their name was originally iconic but is increasingly looking just ironic: the watchmakers continue to manufacture and sell products that are becoming less and less relevant due to the hyper-saturation of smart phones. Why check the time on a watch, after all, when you can do so just as easily from your multi-faceted phone? Their stock has dropped by some sixty percent this year due to the emergence of the Apple Watch as well as competition from fitness trackers that can tell both the time and your heart rate. Fossil Group faces a number of threats, including tumbling revenue, with little hope on the horizon: their sales in North America, Europe, and Asia have all dropped by double-digit percentages, with nearly a fifty percent drop in sales overall. Few companies can maintain that type of performance and come out unscathed; it's hard to see how Fossil Group can pull a rabbit out of its hat without a major shakeup.
- The Takeaway: entertainment was king in 2015. There's little reason to think that trend won't continue through 2016, especially since we spend an average of eight hours per day looking at a television or computer screen. Netflix and Activision should continue strong performances this year, while Amazon, CableVision, and NVIDIA also succeed thanks to the pixel boom. These stocks aren't necessarily in competition with one another, either: innovations that produce more viewers and more screen time will lift all their fortunes.
- Energy stocks look as unappealing in 2016 as they did in 2015. Without an agreement to cap oil and gas production, domestic and foreign oversupply will continue to drive prices further down -- perhaps even to historic lows. Energy companies should either be off the radar for your portfolio this year, or purchased only as a very, very long-term value buy for those with both patience and a willingness to take on risk.


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Triage cyber risks and eliminate noise through real-time actionable updates.
Improve decision making through a better understanding of your environment.
Orchestrate a cyber hygienic work environment through enhanced learning.
Identify potential threats through improved cyber situational awareness.
Report suspicious incidents to security team with attached videos and images.
Reduce incident detection time to mere seconds through observe, report and act mechanism.
Marshall the full power of your human resource by raising a cyber aware and empowered workforce.
Significantly reduce the number of cyber incidents by securing human endpoints.
Transform your organizational culture to Security First.

subset: commoncrawl


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JANA RIESS, pHD
Jana Riess is a senior columnist at Religion News Service and the author or co-author of many books, including Mormonism and American Politics, Mormonism for Dummies, the memoir Flunking Sainthood, and the comedic biblical "translation" The Twible. She is currently working on The Next Mormons, which gathers new sociological data and personal interviews to compare the beliefs and attitudes of four generations of Latter-day Saints. She is in the Relief Society presidency in the Cincinnati ward.


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Monthly Archives: April 2016
Keep in Mind Why You Are Here
– by Dani Stuckle
The above blog title is the phrase that confronted me on a daily basis for three weeks in November, 2015. It was a phrase added to the back of our name tags so while everyone else in the room could be reminded what our name was, the most was made of the blank page facing us. Keep in Mind Why You Are Here. Marianne Sheline, the Program Specialist at the Indiana Historical Society, thought it was a nice idea to try out on our class. It had such an impact on me that I added it to the wall of my cubicle so I can be reminded frequently that I need to reflect.
The "here" that I'm trying to be mindful of varies. Why am I in my current position? Why am I with this particular organization? Why am I serving on this committee? Why am I only at this stage of the project? This seemingly simple directive has given me countless opportunities to think about my career, my life, and who I want to be when I grow up.
Throughout the time I was in Indianapolis, I was forced to think time and again if we, as a profession, are really doing the best work we could be doing. Are we relevant to our communities? Are we connecting with people over meaningful work? What ideas can we take from other fields to make cultural organizations resonate with our audiences? I thank Marianne, and everyone else involved in making this seminar happen annually, for giving me so many things to continue thinking about.
Danielle "Dani" Stuckle
Educational Programs and Outreach Coordinator
State Historical Society of North Dakota
What is SHA?
Greetings from Nashvegas where it's a beautiful spring sunny day. Why am I at work then?
Well, it's to remind you that we're hosting a free webinar next week for those curious about Developing History Leaders @SHA. The link (which I got wrong on the last email to you but I SWEAR is correct this time) is http://resource.aaslh.org/view/what-is-developing-leaders-sha/.
In this webinar, you'll hear from SHA graduates Richard Josey (Class of 2008) of the Minnesota Historical Society and Melissa Prycer (Class of 2013) of Dallas Heritage Village and faculty member David Young of Cliveden on the basics of this longstanding leadership program.
Our goal is to answer some of the following questions about this three-week program, the longest running professional development seminar in the history field:
- Is SHA right for you?
- How has SHA affected graduates in their careers?
- What actually happens at SHA?
- How do you apply and how many applicants are accepted?
The link to the webinar, including registration information is here: http://resource.aaslh.org/view/what-is-developing-leaders-sha/.
If you have questions about SHA or the webinar, please email me.


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This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
Doesn't being healthy seem so easy in the summer? The warm weather keeps you eating right with lots of fresh fruits and veggies (and by "you", I really mean you, and not me) and the desire to be outside gets your body moving and your family active. Autumn's arrival and back to school doesn't have to mean abandoning everything about summer. The healthy habits that come naturally can be easily carried into the fall and winter months too.
- Don't Sweat the Rush: Don't beat yourself up if your family's rushed schedule doesn't get your kids the full rainbow of nutrients. FLINTSTONES Active Kids® Gummies can help bridge dietary gaps as a source of vitamins and minerals in a convenient and tasty gummy. Even if your picky little one (or big one, haha) is on a chicken-finger-only diet, you'll know that FLINTSTONES® is there to help. My girls have been taking these vitamins for almost their whole lives – Eva loves the gummies and Liv is a fan of the original chewables – and I take a daily multi too.
- Sleep: Did you think I was going to let a health post go by without throwing in my favourite topic? I got lots of sleep on the holidays, but now I am trying to get out of the summer habits of watching Netflix in bed (I know that screen time keeps me awake, especially intense episodes of my latest obsession, The Good Wife), and use that important downtime more wisely by reading an actual book (make sure to check out my monthly recommendations in Kate's Favourite Things!)
- Exercise Regularly: Being active in the summer months can seem so easy – with the sun shining, there's no excuse not to get outdoors. But come autumn, the cold can lead many of us to put aside our exercise routine in exchange for fall TV premieres. Remember that working on your fitness doesn't mean you have to go to the gym, just pick something that gets you moving and motivated. Regular readers know that I am a huge treadmill fan – which can combine my workouts with those fall premieres! For extroverted folks, a group fitness class may help to keep you going throughout those colder months (which I define as October through April).
- Avoid Autumn Allergy Blues: Fortunately I am not a seasonal allergy sufferer, but I know so many who are, and allergies don't just happen in the spring. If ragweed season is hitting you hard, try Claritin® for allergy symptom relief. The convenient non-drowsy format will help you feel your best. Check your local region's pollen count, and if the number is high, allergies and allergy symptoms may be just around the corner. So be prepared and have Claritin® on hand! If you're already feeling under the weather, AERIUS® can help battle an allergy-induced cough before it gets out of hand.
- Summer Skincare: Taking care of your skin should be a year-round focus. The winter sun's rays, although weaker, can still do damage without you even noticing it. A lightweight sunscreen like Coppertone® Clearly Sheer® for face and body can help protect you against sun burns. You won't even notice it's there while it screens UVA and UVB rays to provide broad spectrum protection. While I will fully admit it's more out of vanity than long-term health, I do use SPF every single day, even in the winter. Keep in mind that sun damage can even occur when you're driving!
- Drink Wine and Eat Dark Chocolate: You were doing this all summer, right? I don't know what experts are saying these days, but at some point these indulgences were recommended, so I say continue to enjoy them!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.


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- Fully cooked wings with a shake on rub packet
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Jeanne becomes Hurricane
This satellite image gathered at 7:53 a.m. EDT Thursday Sept. 16, 2004 shows Hurricane Jeanne hugging the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, moving west near 9 mph, with a gradual turn toward the west-northwest expected in the next 24 hours. Jeanne strengthened from a tropical storm into the sixth hurricane of the season and struck the evacuated eastern tip of the Dominican Republic on Thursday. (AP Photo/NOAA)
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Jeanne strengthened from a tropical storm into the sixth hurricane of the season and struck the evacuated eastern tip of the Dominican Republic on Thursday, a day after lashing Puerto Rico with damaging winds and rain that knocked out power, flooded roads and killed two people.
A hurricane warning was posted for the eastern and northern coasts of the Dominican Republic, as forecasters told the storm-weary Caribbean to monitor the progress of Jeanne, which had 80 mph winds with higher gusts.
The storm could potentially reach Florida, Georgia and South Carolina by the beginning of next week, according to the National Hurricane Center (news - web sites) in Miami.
"It is over land as we speak ... right on Cabo Engano," said meteorologist Mike Tichacek of the hurricane center.
The small fishing and farming village was evacuated Wednesday by Dominican authorities who said hundreds of people fled homes on the north coast and outlying island of Saona.
At 8 a.m. EDT, Jeanne was hugging the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, moving west near 9 mph, with a gradual turn toward the west-northwest expected in the next 24 hours.
A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph.
But even as a tropical storm, Jeanne was powerful enough to cause havoc in Puerto Rico, buffeting the island of 4 million with wind gusts near 80 mph.
About 3,600 Puerto Ricans were evacuated to shelters, 38 roads were blocked, most residents were without electricity and some 600,000 were without running water, Gov. Sila Calderon said.
"A sudden storm hit us in an unexpected way and with a strength much greater than we had expected," she said at a news conference Thursday. "It left a wake of destruction that we now have to face."
Government offices would remain closed a second day, she said, urging people who did not need to go to work to stay home to aid clean-up efforts on debris-strewn roads.
Police rescued one couple from a car stuck in rising floodwaters on a main highway in north-coast Rio Grande before the vehicle was swept away, authorities said.
"They got out through the window," emergency official Hector Rosa said.
Others were not so fortunate.
Lashing winds tore the roof from Margarita Rivera's house, flung her from a hammock and smashed her into the wall of a neighbor's house, said Mayor Angel Garcia of Yabucoa, the southeastern town where the storm's eye hit land. Rivera, who died, was 49.
In north-coast Vega Baja, 78-year-old Arturo Roman Crespo died instantly after falling from a roof where he was putting up storm shutters, police said. They also reported a man injured in the central town of Lares when a downed tree hit his car.
Agriculture officials said plantain, banana and coffee crops probably sustained major damage.
The storm plowed northwest across the middle of the island and exited near Vega Baja, said meteorologist Scott Stripling of the U.S. National Weather Service
Jeanne dumped up to 16 inches of rain on Puerto Rico that could continue through Friday because the storm's tail extended far past St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, said Rafael Mojica, a hurricane center meteorologist.
About 50,000 people lost power in St. Croix, but half were back by evening, officials said. Airports in the U.S. Virgin Islands remained closed.
Jeanne was expected to skirt the northeast coast of the Hispaniola island, where floods in May killed more than 3,000 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Jeanne was then forecast to pass the 700-island Bahamas chain, recently battered by Hurricane Frances, the Hurricane Center said.
In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, airports were closed and businesses shuttered. Wednesday night, people mobbed a Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlor that was giving away ice cream that otherwise would spoil in the blacked-out Puerto Rican capital.
Jeanne became the 10th named storm of a busy Atlantic season Tuesday. Three major hurricanes have been through in two weeks — Charley, Frances and the deadliest of them all, Ivan, which killed 68 people in the Caribbean.
Associated Press reporters Frank Griffiths, Ian James, Paisley Dodds and Manuel Ernesto Rivera in Puerto Rico and Mat Probasco in the U.S. Virgin Islands contributed to this report.


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For those who are interested in running their own business, there are several paths to consider. Starting an entirely new business from scratch is often the first thing that comes to mind, but in many cases, it can also be the most difficult. If you don't have a specific business idea in mind that would push you toward starting something unique, an excellent alternative is opening a franchise.
Franchises are proven business models that take away a significant amount of the risk. You can be confident that the idea is good because it has been done many times in the past. In addition, most of the companies that offer franchising opportunities will also provide help with things like choosing a location, setting policies, finding vendors, and much more. With thousands of different franchise options out there, however, it is important to make sure you choose the right one for you. The following are a few things you can do to help ensure you make the right choice.
What Do You Like to Do?
Investing in a franchise is a huge commitment, and not just of your money. Once you decide to purchase a franchise, you really need to be able to pour your heart into it to ensure it will be a success. With this in mind, really think about the type of work you enjoy doing. Making a list of things you love doing, things you are willing to do, and things that you would hate. From there, you can start to narrow down the list of franchise options based on which ones align with your preferences.
What Is the Time Commitment?
As a business owner, you will be putting a lot of your time into the franchise. Different types of franchises, however, have different time requirements. If you open a restaurant, you can likely expect to work a lot of nights and weekends, especially at first. If you open a coffee shop, mornings may be busier. Some franchises are more of a 9-5 commitment, and others will need you to be available almost 24/7. Don't romanticize this part of the process. Think about what you will be willing to do for potentially years into the future.
What Is the Market Like?
While a franchise company will likely help you to look at different markets to find one that will work, you too will have a lot of insights into the markets in your area. Focusing on franchises that you believe will thrive in the areas around you is a great way to find something that can be a success.
How Much Financial Investment Is Required?
Of course, franchises require that you invest money to cover the costs of a building, inventory, and much more. You will also be required to pay the Franchisor an ongoing fee for use of the company branding. Depending on the franchise, this could be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars, or even more. How much money you have available (both in cash and potential loans)? Look realistically at franchise options that you can afford.
How Will You Hold Your Investment?
Once you have decided to take the leap into franchise ownership, decide how you will "hold" your investment. It is common for franchisees to form limited liability companies or corporations to own the franchise rather than sole proprietorships. The reasons are the same with any type of business ownership-limited liability protection and taxation. The Franchisor will have very limited, if any, liability for the activities of your franchise, so it is important that you take steps to protect your investment and your personal assets.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about franchises, or you are ready to sign contracts and need them written or reviewed by an attorney, please contact APH Law. We have years of experience working with people interested in franchise opportunities, and can help you throughout the process.


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In 1956, the master of pottery, Franz Kukowetz, made a groundbreaking discovery! After studying it for 16 years and numerous attempts,he successfully unravelled the secret of Terra-Nigra. This sensation made headlines around the world, including the USA (see also the newspaper article dating from the year 1964!). Franz Kukowetz passed on his knowledge and skills to his daughter Vera Wagner and his son-in-law Heribert Wagner. Meanwhile, Mr. Kukowetz's grandson, Hannes Wagner, successfully runs the only original one of its kind Terra-Nigra production in the world. It is located in Flansdorf, Lower Austria.
For many years, Hannes Wagner managed IT-corporations with great success. Eventually, he decided to turn his love for this exceptional ceramic into his life's purpose. Ever since, his impressive artwork has been wonderful evidence of his passion for Terra-Nigra.
Hannes Wagner: "There is nothing better than spending my time at the manufactory to create and give every product its distinctive uniqueness. One can literally feel the ancient origin of the finished products. Their charisma is exceptional and the austere beauty of their simple designs is the embodiment of thousands of years of ancient culture!"
Learn more about the unique Terra-Nigra ceramic by watching this television report starting at 3:40 minutes. It was broadcast by ORF on January 13th, 2013.


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The Liturgical Arts and Environment group assist with the care of the art and environment of the Church, prepare seasonal decoration, provide flowers to beautify the Church and contribute to the experience of our worship. They assist the sacristans and altar guild at special times to clean sanctuary before major feasts. Volunteers are needed, especially in the important seasons of Christmas and Easter.
Contact: Gabrielle Perrin, (773) 667-1355, firstname.lastname@example.com


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January, 2012
Questions I ask myself
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
The value of claiming your business on Jeeran!
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
2011, the year we have expanded!
Sunday, January 15th, 2012
Interview with our CEO Omar Koudsi at Roya TV
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Our first Movie Night Activity
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Happy New Year
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012


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Home >> More Services news >> This Article
Pay Cheques Into Bank Accounts with a Camera Phone
Published on: 15th Jul 2010
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
USA based banking processing vendor, Wausau Financial Systems is to start accepting cheques that are submitted by a camera phone as opposed to handed over to a bank teller. The company has teamed up with Mitek Systems to offer Mitek's mobile Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) capabilities to financial institutions.
With the integrated capabilities of Mitek's Check 21-compliant Mobile Deposit application and Wausau's mobile RDC offering, financial institutions soon can provide their customers the ability to deposit either personal or business checks via camera-equipped smartphones. Deployment of the application begins in September.
"With Mitek's technology, we're expanding our best-in-class RDC technology, making the solution more sophisticated and attractive for consumers and businesses alike," said Kathy Strasser, executive vice president, Solution Management for Wausau Financial Systems. "Further, financial institutions will see the benefits as well, from the ability to offer cutting-edge services to customers and enhanced customer loyalty, to increased profits and significant cost savings."
A secure application, Mobile Deposit allows users to initiate mobile-deposit sessions, key in deposit amounts and simply snap photos of both sides of the checks with smartphone cameras. The Mitek software captures the check images and prepares them for transmission to the business's receiving RDC solution.
Before transmitting, Mitek's IMagePROVE technology formats the check images, automatically corrects any image distortions or skewing, and confirms that the images meet accepted image-quality standards. After the checks are submitted successfully, users receive instant communications back from their banks, resulting in rapid access to funds or timely payments.
"Having an industry leader in remittance, RDC and image-capture technology like Wausau Financial Systems sign on to use our Mobile Deposit technology is tremendously important for us," said Mitek CEO James DeBello. "We have worked very hard and invested a lot to develop an application that is easy to use, so it's very satisfying to see that hard work appreciated by a leader the caliber of Wausau."


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San Blas, Panama #1
|Ports of Call
|Porvenir, Panama City
|Dec 10 - Dec 20, 2012
The kiting and cruising in San Blas is so good that made it onto our list of top ten places on the planet to kitesurf. Check out the San Blas Captains Log from The Best Odyssey to see what Gavin had to say. Or, check out this article on our previous adventures there, Journey Through Time.
The local people, the Kuna, with a fascinating culture are a wonderful example of an how an indigenous peoples can flourish with their age old customs while surrounded by the modern world. They are both friendly and welcoming of tourists. They are among the smallest in physical size on Earth- yet never conquered, and after many attempts were given a large territory of Panama to administer on their own.
We have one cabin and one shared cabin available to non-members of the expedition. Cost is $6950 USD for the cabin (two person occupancy), and $4100 USD for the shared cabin all inclusive except getting to and from the boat (transport from Panama City to the San Blas is either via overland for approximately $150 USD or by air (see below). Other expenses include top shelf wine and spirits (table wine and beer is included). If you are interested, please contact us immediately. UPDATE: the member of the shared cabin has just told me that he will accept any reasonable offer!For more information on Panama: Lonely Planet / Wiki Travel
For more information on the San Blas Archipelago:Wiki Travel / San Blas Sailing
Getting there: International flights arrive at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), which lies about 20 miles east of Panama City (from all countries) or David Airport (from Costa Rica). From Panama City there are currently daily flights to El Porvenir via Air Panama. This 10 minute flight is astoundingly beautiful and deposits you on a grass runway, where Discovery will be anchored just meters away. One of the coolest boardings of the expedition!
Visas: Visas requirements vary depending on passport nationality. Please check requirements and apply well in advance.
Medical: Recommended vaccination for yellow fever - only if coming from a country where yellow fever occurs (includes most of South America and Africa but not USA). Precautions for Malaria are also advisable. Dengue fever is also a concern, take care to bring protection against mosquitos. We keep plenty of repellant on board, but usually on the boat there is little risk due to wind keeping the mozzies away.
- Abundance of marine life
- Culturally interesting (Kuna)
- Friendly locals
- Great seafood
- Insane kiting
- Postcard perfect islands
- Remote exploration
- Sunburn?
- Um....too much wind?
|Mean Avg Wind
|11 - 15 knots 55%


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Kent Caravan Holidays & Short Breaks
Our Holiday Parks in Kent
Whitstable, Kent, CT5 4BJ
The perfect family holiday and an ideal location to discover Kent.
Birchington Vale
Birchington, Kent, CT7 0HD
A beautiful location, have fun in our fantastic Clubhouse or ride the flume in our indoor pool!
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Family fun in Leysdown at the ever popular coastal resort on Kent's Isle of Sheppey.
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It's fun all the way in Kent, with fantastic park facilities and great entertainment.
Whitstable, Kent, CT5 2RY
Great location near Whitstable in North Kent with the coast just waiting to be explored.


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Dear grandpa,
I have written quite a few letters recently. Letters I will never send. Letters to you, to him, to past me, to future me, to possible aliens. A letter to the customer who made me cry, and one to the customer who brought tears to my eyes by sharing beautiful, hopeful outlook on life.
You have been gone for one month and one day now. Yesterday was especially difficult as I thought about that awful phone call that started my day, one month ago. I think of you often. I think of you when I look into the mirror and a set of large eyes peering above big cheeks returns my gaze. I carry you constantly on the chain that never leaves my neck.
The day before you passed, J asked me what my favourite possession was, and I said that it was my portrait necklace, the one you brought back from Croatia. I would like you to know that I don't think I could express how important this little trinket of gold and coral means to me. It rests on my chest, above my heart that pumps the blood that bears your name and I think of your story and your parents and your successes and your faults and how you worked to make your name well- loved and respected.
Once you forgot that I carry your name. "What name do I write on the check?" you asked me. "Milan," I responded before retreating to the bathroom and crying. I forgot that I am the anomaly of the family and that if I had been born in the same circumstances as all of your other grandchildren, you wouldn't have needed to ask. Nonetheless, every time I write my full name—which is every day between school and work—I feel proud to have it as a part of my identity.
Because of the sheer gusto and resolve with which you lived life, much of my strength and comfort comes from thoughts of you. Even if I never told you, many of my actions had an afterthought of "I think grandpa would be proud of me if he knew this" and many of my dreams have been inspired, or seem possible to attain, because of you. I am not sure I ever played with more intensity than during the games you showed up to, as if to show you I got my athletic skills from you. I liked bragging about my accomplishments to you; I always wanted to have something new to present to you to make you proud of me.
I think you would be a little disappointed with me at the moment. See, I have drank more coffee in my life in the past couple weeks than I ever have, and my teeth are starting to show a little. I also have a cavity on my molar. But tell me, how am I supposed to sit in another doctor's chair now that you are gone? You would soften my fear with your kind blue eyes and gentle jokes and special treatment (although I know you treated every patient with special treatment, and that is why so many showed up at your funeral).
But I'd like to tell you why I have had so much coffee- I haven't slept too much since you have been gone. See, Gramps, I'm a little heart- broken at the moment. More than that… it's tremendous really. I wish you were here to ruffle my hair like you always did and tell me to toughen up because I deserve happiness and there are plenty of fish in the sea. That's what mom said how you handled her heartache.
I remember being so mad at you when you said it was time to leave our visit when mom was in rehab. I also remember finding comfort in your strong, stern presence.
I think we are kindred spirits. I learned the strength in silence from you. I think we were both hardened by life early on, and cope in similar ways. I learned the concept of working hard and playing hard. I learned some valuable lessons from your mistakes. I learned the importance of generosity, for I truly think you are the most generous person I will have the pleasure of knowing.
Thank you for all of the things you did for us, even that excruciating year of dialysis so we could have more time with you. Thank you for taking your inappropriate humour to the grave and making us all laugh through the tears on that sad, grey day. I miss you, grandpa. I can't say that I am looking forward to the holiday season without you being there as the patriarch of the family. I will miss finding each other, each seeking solace from the commotion, in the room that everyone else has migrated from. I'll miss you telling me of how you barely graduated high school with a 1.9 GPA how the marines kicked your ass and what tattoos you got and how you found balance between your rebellious side and your disciplined side. I'll miss comfortable sitting in silence with you. I'll miss the smell of your leather jacket.
I love you always,


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Chances are, if you're reading this it's because you've been scouring the internet because your baby won't stop crying and you're looking, possibly desperately, for something that will stop the screaming.
If this is you then I can relate to your situation and I really and genuinely feel for you. I wish I could come to your house and support you through it. I wish your baby was content and that you were enjoying these early times together rather than searching online for how to make your baby stop crying. I wish you weren't sleep deprived, eating junk, questioning your parenting ability, or feeling isolated. I wish you were getting the opportunity to bond properly with your baby and were enjoying the simple pleasures of parenthood.
Unfortunately it is very unlikely that I can come to your house but I really hope that through sharing some of our experiences I can help from afar. It took us months to find the answers and solutions we needed and in all that time our beautiful little girl was in pain and unable to sleep. These are the things I wish I'd known from the start:
1) Follow your instincts – There are many reasons for a baby to cry but there is always a reason. And your baby should stop crying once you've met that their needs. Don't let anyone tell you that "some babies just cry". Follow your instincts and fight for your child because no-one else is going to do so.
2) Take your baby to see the doctor – The general advice is that if your baby is crying excessively you should take them to the doctor to be checked over to ensure there is no serious underlying issue.
2) Make a symptoms diary – When I took our 3 week old screaming baby to the doctor I had the unfortunate experience of being asked whether I was a first time mum (I was) and being told that it was common for first time mums to start struggling at around the 3 week mark once they realised how hard things were going to be. I was told that babies cry and that it should improve by 12 weeks and I was sent on my way. I don't write this to complain about the doctor. She was trying to reassure me that our baby was OK and she didn't understand what I meant when I said "my baby cries all the time". Help your doctor or health visitor understand by presenting them with a 3 or 4 day symptoms dairy. Use a full page per day, jot 24 hours down the side and then record what your baby is doing – sleeping independently, sleeping but requiring comforting, feeding, awake and content, awake and unsettled, awake and crying, awake and inconsolable. I shaded the different categories in different colours to make it painfully apparent that most of the page was red ie "awake and inconsolable". If you are breastfeeding then also jot down when and what you ate. Once I showed this to healthcare professionals they were a lot more supportive.
3) Get informed – Learn about the reasons that babies cry. The normal reasons first as working out how to meet your baby's needs is not as straight forward as you think it will be. In addition, get informed about reasons for excessive crying and the management and treatment options. For example, a lot of babies with colic are struggling with temporary lactose intolerance due to gut immaturity or are cow's milk protein intolerant and removing these from a breastfeeding mothers diet or changing to a hypoallergenic formula milk can fix the problem. Becoming informed can help you understand why your baby is crying and help you manage it better. They can also help you to fight for your baby if the medical professionals are not proving very supportive. These are the pages I found most useful. I wish I'd found them a lot earlier than I did.
The reasons babies cry:
Colic and reflux leaflets:
Map of Medicine NHS guides – these are resources for doctors but are available for the public to view on line. The language is geared for health professionals but they are informative and contain useful flow diagrams of treatment pathways which you could work through with your doctor, especially if you feel your concerns are being dismissed or played down.
4) Buy a baby carrier – If your baby won't settle then this is like your hands-free kit. Our eldest would only sleep in an upright position and once we'd bought a baby carrier she spent the majority of her time in it for the first few months. Our second didn't cry excessively but it was still invaluable for that fussy hour which always seemed to coincide with when I needed to make dinner for our eldest.
Buy a wrap as it spreads out the weight of your baby which is important if you're carrying for longer periods. Baby carriers can be expensive but the wraps are essentially just one long piece of slightly stretchy fabric. You could theoretically buy a 5m length with a 60cm depth from your local fabric store for under £10. But an easier cheap option is to look on ebay for a non-branded wrap for around £15-£20 and look up a video of how to use it on youtube.
If you want to try a few out before you buy then most areas have a 'sling library' where you can borrow one for a few weeks at a time. Check out the UK Sling Libraries Network to find one near you.
If you decide to buy a baby carrier then make sure you read and follow the TICKS rules for safe babywearing:
5) Attempt to form some type of routine despite the crying – As mentioned previously, babies cry to let you know what they need, but it can be challenging to distinguish the 'needs' from the discomfort if your baby cries excessively. We found it useful to establish a routine so that we and our baby knew what was coming next so that we could anticipate her 'normal' needs despite the constant crying. A time-based routine is unlikely to work with an unsettled baby so we used a sequenced routine of "eat, activity, sleep" on repeat, which is the routine suggested in the book title The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg.
We also found it useful to have a 'reset button' in the evening, which for us was at 6:30 and consisted of a bath, PJs and quiet feed to help distinguish night and day. We found that after persevering with this for a few weeks she did start to settle better overnight.
6) Don't be afraid of 'bad habits' – As a new parent you are drip fed a lot of very helpful information about establishing good sleep habits, self soothing, avoiding dummies, etc all of which are completely impossible if you have an unsettled baby. I spent a lot of time stressing about all the 'bad habits' we were forming but these were easily rectified later on. It took only 24 hours to remove the dummy at 6 months and she was self soothing to sleep by a year. Just follow your instincts, meet your child's needs and ignore what other parents around you are doing because every baby is different.
6) Look after yourself – Make sure you let family and friends help out so that you can have a break or get some sleep. If you don't have support nearby then contact your health visitor or local children's centre as there are voluntary support programs such as Home-Start who could give you some short term help to see you through.
I hope some of the information I've shared has been helpful. Importantly, despite your exhaustion try and do something proactive for your baby. Depending on the cause of the excessive crying you may not be able to alleviate your baby's discomfort or crying completely but you should be able to make them more comfortable which will in turn help you cope better as a parent. Also, be reassured that it does improve with time, even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment! If you have any other suggestions then I'd love you to add them so make sure you comment below.


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The internet of things is something i have heard about but not really taken and interest in… until now. Wikipedia quotes
The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data.[1] The IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure,[2] creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit.
…and in a village nestling in the shade of the Carneddau mountains in Bethesda little digital acorns are budding. A large group of us have been working as you may have read on supplying a local community with locally generated electricity by using existing infrastructure. Simple you may think? As you can guess the cards are stacked against such an endeavour. But the thing which joins the dots and makes things possible is data. Its collection, its sorting and its reporting. Thanks to Energy Local and many other players, we will soon have a network of smart meters, a data gathering organisation, a cloud host, GSM or board bank links, local interfaces with the generator and user smart meters to know whats going on and deliver direct financial savings to participants and increase income for the generator. But we will also have the framework for an internet of things to hang itself on. This new data and its use can provide community benefit from better time of use tariffs, automatic switching of appliances and switching heating systems on and off based on economic and local preferences, it could release capacity in constrained local grids and the list goes on and on. But this is one of the first steps hopefully by the end of the summer we will be ready for a sprint based on the data coming through


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LONDON — In an effort to repair long-strained relations, Britain and Iran announced Tuesday that each would appoint a chargé d'affaires, a rank below ambassador, to work toward resuming full diplomatic ties. The diplomats will remain in their own countries, but will discuss reopening embassies in London and Tehran.
Relations between the countries were downgraded to the lowest level short of a break in 2011 after protesters in Tehran attacked the British Embassy.
Iranians still consider Britain, the former colonial power there, a powerful agent of opposition to Iranian independence and the Islamic Revolution.
The move to restore relations came after the British foreign secretary, William Hague, met with Iran's new foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, at the United Nations. The two men spoke on the telephone on Monday, Mr. Hague told Parliament on Tuesday.
"I've made very clear to Mr. Zarif that we are open to more direct contact and further improvements in our bilateral relations," Mr. Hague said.Continue reading the main story
The new Iranian government of President Hassan Rouhani has spoken of greater openness to the West as Tehran prepares for new negotiations next week with the United Nations Security Council on Iran's disputed nuclear program. Iran is eager for the United States and the Europeans to lift harsh economic sanctions, which were imposed in response to Iran's regular flouting of Security Council resolutions that it halt uranium enrichment and comply with International Atomic Energy Agency demands that it fully disclose its nuclear activities.
The Obama administration, while skeptical of Mr. Rouhani's message of openness, would like to resolve tensions with Iran through negotiations, while Israel has warned that Iran may be trying to buy time for developing a nuclear weapon.
Mr. Rouhani, like the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insists Iran has no intention of building a nuclear bomb. But for Western and Israeli experts, the Iranian program has no other logic, though American officials say they believe Iran has not yet decided to build a nuclear weapon.
Confirmation of the British announcement came from Tehran and the foreign ministry spokeswoman there, Marzieh Afkham.
"Issues pertaining to the historical Iranian perception of the U.K. and its role in Iran, disagreements between the two countries on the nuclear issue, human rights and the Middle East are among points that Iran will discuss with the U.K. in their future talks," said Ms. Afkham, an Iranian news agency reported.
An article on Oct. 9 about an announcement that Britain and Iran would each appoint a chargé d'affaires in an effort to improve long-strained relations referred incorrectly to an official with Iran's foreign ministry who confirmed the announcement. The official, Marzieh Afkham, is a woman. This error was corrected on The Times website on Oct. 9, but editors did not follow through with a correction for print editions.


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Algonquin, 43 hotels from 3 to 5-star in Europe totaling more than 7,500 rooms
As an investor using its own balance sheet, Algonquin relies on its in-house teams to operate its acquired hotels. Algonquin identifies hotel investment opportunities and underwrites acquisitions through the creation of dedicated hotel ventures with its different investment partners. The company is then directly involved with day-to-day hotel and asset management thanks to its in-house teams. Thanks to its track record and expertise, Algonquin can offer its partners (i) the opportunity to co-invest alongside with the company and (ii) a hands-on management know-how in dealing with the specific operational issues of this asset class.
- 04.07.2017
Algonquin and Extendam acquire the AC by Marriott Nice
Extend AM and Algonquin have acquired, in an off-market process, the 143-room AC by Marriott hotel located on Nice's famous "Promenade des Anglais".
Algonquin Management Partners welcomes Bpifrance and BNP Paribas Développement as new shareholders to boost its growth
Bpifrance and BNP Paribas Développement have announced a 23m€ investment in Algonquin Management Partners – a leading European hotel operator, investor and asset manager – in order to support the growth of its activities in France and in the rest of the world. This investment, led by Bpifrance, enables the two co-investors to become minority shareholders and join Jean-Philippe Chomette, the group's founder, who remains the majority shareholder through Algonquin SA, and the management team led by Frédéric de Brem, CEO of Algonquin Management Partners, and Stéphane Obadia, Managing Director in charge of development.
Benson Elliot and Walton Street in partnership with Algonquin SA s portfolio acquisition from Host Hotels Resorts European JV was named Merger Acquisition/Portfolio of the Year.
Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) Announces
Deal of the Year Award Winners
Primotel Europe and Algonquin acquire the Hyatt Regency Düsseldorf
Investment in the Media Harbour district highlights the increasingly dynamic economy of Düsseldorf and strengthens the common strategy of Aviva France and Algonquin and to develop together in buying major hotels in European gateway cities.
The fund « PRIMOTEL EUROPE » has the objective of investing 240 million Euros over 3 years, in French and European hotels in the 3 to 5-star category.
Joint-Venture of Benson Elliot, Walton Street, Algonquin book into pan-European hotel portfolio for €420 million
A joint venture between private equity real estate fund managers, UK-based Benson Elliot and US-based Walton Street Capital, L.L.C. ("Walton Street") in partnership with Algonquin SA (the "JV"), has acquired a pan-European hotel portfolio comprising of eight prime hotels in seven major cities across five countries, the Prime Europe Hotels (the "Portfolio") for approximately €420 million. The Portfolio was purchased out of Host Hotels Resorts Inc.'s European Joint Venture(the "Vendor").
KKR acquires two hotels in Antwerp
Investment underlines the city's potential as a growing business and leisure hub
Novotel Liverpool Centre acquired out of Administration by Algonquin and a Group of Investors
Algonquin is pleased to announce the acquisition, along with a Group of Investors, of the 4-star, 209-room Novotel Liverpool Centre hotel for c. £13.5 million. The hotel has been acquired from Joint Administrators David Oprey, Richard Toone and Adrian Hyde of Chantrey Vellacott DKF.
Sheraton Hotel Krakow is acquired by Algonquin SA and co-investors
Algonquin is pleased to announce the acquisition of the 232-room Sheraton Krakow, for c. €38 million.


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5 Bedroom End of Terrace House
A beautifully restored, fine and elegant 5 BEDROOM EDWARDIAN home of approx 1666 SQ FT situated in a PRIME HISTORIC CENTRAL LOCATION just minutes from LEWES MAINLINE STATION. Offering TWO RECEPTION ROOMS, two shower rooms and a GENEROUSLY SIZED REAR GARDEN. This is a much loved and well maintained traditional end of terrace home. The interior accommodation is beautifully complemented by a stylish and sophisticated decor and provides a series of capacious rooms - particularly on the ground floor - which offer all the pre-requisites for modern family living and entertaining. A number of features synonymous with the architectural era in which the property was built lie harmoniously alongside a contemporary design influence. Such features include beautiful staircases, fireplaces, sash windows, part panelled walls, ornate ceiling cornicings, picture rails and exposed stained floor-boards in part. Furthermore, the property benefits from high ceilings, some double glazing and secondary glazing in part, gas central heating, modern white bathroom suites and fitted storage throughout. The property is approached via a front garden which results in the house being set back from the road. The front door opens into the entrance hall where there are panelled doors leading to the kitchen/diner and the sumptuous 15 ft living room which enjoys a grandiose sash bay window incorporating a window seat and receiving natural southerly light. A set of bi-folding doors open to the second reception room and afford the option of one extensive semi-open plan space. The 13 ft reception room is currently used as an additional sitting room and has double doors to the rear garden with views extending beyond to Lewes townscape. A double-width opening leads to the 20 ft kitchen/diner - a voluminous space comprising a beautifully appointed kitchen with a composite work top incorporating a breakfast bar, a range of units with 'soft close' drawers and doors and integral appliances which include a hob with glass splash-back, an electric fan oven and grill and a dishwasher. The dining area has bi-folding doors to the rear garden and a utility area provides a functional extension to the kitchen offering fitted shelves, space and plumbing for appliances and a useful modern cloakroom. Of further interest is the two-roomed cellar (with an approximate head-height of 5 ft 4 inchs) which provides an excellent storage solution. A beautiful staircase ascends from the entrance hall to the first floor where the accommodation continues; 16 ft master bedroom and 13 ft guest bedroom - each of which has its own ornate cast iron fireplace and useful fitted wardrobe storage, a further single bedroom, a family shower room with a luxury suite and a separate cloakroom. Stairs continue to the second floor where there are two further double bedrooms and an additional shower room. One of the bedrooms enjoys views towards countryside and the other has an ornate fireplace and Castle views. Externally the rear garden is, in our opinion, of an unexpected good size for a property in such a central Lewes location. The garden includes two Indian sandstone terraces - one adjacent to the kitchen/diner, the other to the rear of the garden - affording ample spaces for al fresco dining and entertaining. The garden is otherwise laid to lawn with well stocked flowerbeds to the borders and is enclosed by walled and trellis fenced borders. Lewes is a thriving market town and the beauty of the town's rich architectural heritage interplays with both the River Ouse, as it meanders through the town centre and the South Downs National Park, which provides a dramatic backdrop to the townscape. The coastal, business and entertainment city of Brighton and Hove is just 8 miles away. Agent's note: Energy Efficiency Rating E. Viewings are highly recommended to appreciate this fantastic home.
|End Of Terrace Edwardian Family Home
|Desirable Southover Area
|Spacious Accommodation Over Three Floors
|Stylish & Sophisticated Interior
|Abundance Of Period Features
|Two Reception Rooms
|20 ft Kitchen/Diner
|Utility Area & Cloakroom
|Two-Roomed Cellar
|Five Bedrooms (Four Doubles)


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This stunning 1 year old luxury townhouse is perfect for first home buyers or investors looking for a good rental return.
Featuring two double sized bedrooms, master room with large walk in robe and ensuite bathroom and built in robe to the second room.
The open plan tiled living areas flow onto the tiled alfresco area perfect for the outdoor entertaining.
In the heart of the home, the kitchen will impress with stone bench tops, 900mm gas cook top, and plenty of bench and cupboard space.
Sleek main bathroom upstairs comes with shower and bath and additional third toilet downstairs in the internal laundry.
This home also offers ducted reverse cycle AC, timber venetian blinds, single lock up auto garage space with internal access.
The low maintenance private backyard is fully landscaped and equipped with a water tank.
Situated in the heart of Blacktown CBD with close proximity to shopping centres, schools & public transport, GWH, M4 and minutes' drive to new theme park (Wet & Wild).
Opportunities like this are rare to find.
- Two double sized bedrooms
- Ensuite to master room & walk in robe
- Kitchen with stone benchtops
- Gas cooking
- Open plan tiled living areas
- Main bathroom with shower and bath
- Third toilet downstairs
- Internal laundry
- Single automatic garage with internal access
- Tiled alfresco area
- Low maintenance backyard
- Ducted AC
- Timber venetian blinds
- Quality finishes
Close to all amenities including:
- Campbell Reserve, Blacktown Showground
- WestPoint 2.5km driving 4mins / 2.1km walking 27mins
- Blacktown Train Station 2.4km driving 4mins / 2.1km walking 27mins
- Marayong Public School 1.1km driving 3mins / 800m walking 11mins
- Blacktown South Public School 3.5km driving 5mins / 3.5km walking 44mins
- Patrician Brothers College Blacktown 3.4km driving 5mins / 2.6km walking 34mins
- Coreen Public School 3.8km driving 6mins / 2.8km walking 36mins
(All distances and estimated walking times sources through Google Maps)
# agents interest
Air Conditioning
Built-In Wardrobes
Close to Transport
Close to Shops
Close to Schools


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Attuned Healing Bodywork ~ Jackson, Wyoming
Follow Specials and Announcements on Facebook.
I now offer my bodywork sessions GROUNDED to Earth's energy! This provides additional healing benefits and inflammation reduction for my clients. To learn about the importance of grounding, you can find research info online at the Earthing Institute (earthinginstitute.net).
Plus, I am excited to now offer my clients personal guided meditations to assist them in between sessions.
To shop online, click here. To purchase sale items, please call: 307-690-5308. For more information about offerings, go to Services & Specialties.
Laura Garrard will tag team with wonderful yoga instructor Wanna Johansson to provide a CranioSacral Restorative Workshop at Akasha Yoga in Jackson, Sunday, March 25, 2-4:30 pm. The cost is $35, and you may register at www.akashayogajh.com. Click here to review the promotional flyer.
Reiki 2 ~ Friday, March 9 9:30 am-5 pm
Reiki 3 ~ Fridays 8:30 am-4:30 pm, March 16 & 23
Reiki 1 ~ Friday, April 20, 9:30 am – 5 pm
Go to the Events & Classes page for more information.
Also, there is a Remote Reiki and Prayer/Meditation session held from your own location, every last Sunday of the month at 8 p.m. This allows all to participate from their own locations using their unique gifts of energy work, meditation and/or prayer to focus healing energy for our Earth, humankind, peace/violence reduction, and personal healing. All you need to do is place your intention toward the highest good of all, include your personal intentions for healing, ask for what you need and desire earnestly from your heart, visualize your prayers or intentions having already come to pass, and release the outcome. You may spend as little or as much time as you desire. Thank you for your participation, for it's been proven that when the square root of 1% of a population meditates on peace, violence decreases measurably in that community.
Purchase my art online at DayDreamImagery.com! Giclee prints on archival paper and canvas, as well as originals, are available online through this high-quality printer and gallery. Follow my art on Facebook.
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My latest publication is my poem "Spring Self Rising," published on Teton Spirit Connection on March 19, 2017. Click here.
My poem, "Nothing But the Soul I Wear," published in Teton Spirit Magazine in Issue #7. Click here.
Also Read "What Is Essential Is Invisible to the Eye," a blog about what is important published on Teton Spirit Connection on Nov. 5, 2016.
"The Real Power of Reiki," blog published on Teton Spirit Connection on July 14, 2015. Click here.
Dec. 5, 2014, my blog "Love Is Immense" published on Teton Spirit Connection. Click here.
My published article "True Joy: Accepting Unconditional Love" with accompanying art appeared in the Summer/Fall 2014 issue of Teton Spirit Connection Magazine, pp. 35-37. Read it online.
My first blog on Teton Spirit Connection: "The Teton Reiki Circle Empowers Locals to Assist Others and Themselves," Dec. 8, 2013. Click here.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." ~ Antoine de Saint Exupery


text: A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of assisting Emma over at Rose Wheat Photography with a lovely concept shoot she put together. She had the vision of capturing a simple, rustic wedding of two wandering souls who had nothing in the world but a battered suitcase, undying love, and each other (you can read the beautiful poem she wrote to accompany this photo series here). Our fellow photographer friend, Laura, from Captured In His Image Photography, and her husband, Jordan, modeled this beautiful wedding ceremony for us.


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AstraZeneca sells its Alderley Park site in UK
21.03.2014 / BioSpectrum
The sale is part of AstraZeneca's plan, set out in March 2013, to establish a new global R&D centre and corporate headquarters in Cambridge, UK, in 2016.
Mr Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca, said, "We believe that the sale of the site to Manchester Science Parks is the responsible and sustainable choice for the future of Alderley Park. The new owner is committed to building on AstraZeneca's life science legacy at the site and ensuring it remains a centre of biotechnology innovation in the North West of England. It will lead to future growth and offer significant opportunities for new jobs to be created."
The new owners plan to build on Alderley Park's heritage of scientific innovation, ensuring that the 400 acre site remains a life science and biotechnology campus.
The financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.


text: Symphony Sessions Mosart 212 Like that OTHER composer with a similar name (but without the syphillis), Mosart212 (aka Maria JoséButter, aka Boston Blackie) is a prolific creator of bad-ass funky symphonies for the post-modern era. While he's a DJ's DJ, he's also so much more: composer, rabblerouser, crate-digger, beatsmith, Baseball Fury, teacher, curator, writer, bargain-hunter, philosopher, boogaloo shrimp, hep cat, and all-around artiste. Symphony Sessions is a weekly foray into the mind of Mr. Mosart212. One week you might get a downtempo pastiche of blunted sounds and lonesome beats, the next you might hear a set full of early proto-house and handclapping, footstomping nu-disco and boogie music. Mosart212 will go there. Anywhere. And he'll keep you front and center, tapping on that music stand and waving his conductor's baton and his wild-ass hair (serious, eff a comb) leading you through his Symphony Sessions… Stream & Download from the archives Skitzofrenia Listen → Paginas Listen → Dem Not Funny… Listen → Blue Moods Listen → Symphony Sessions – Sounds From The Animals Listen → Steady Rock'n For Reel Listen → One1one1 Listen → Symphony Sessions – This Might Actually Work! Listen → « Previous 1 2


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|"Berin Loritsch" <blorit...@infoplanning.com>
|RE: [RT] Alternatives to sitemap
|Tue, 10 Jul 2001 13:57:12 GMT
> -----Original Message----- > From: Stefano Mazzocchi [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] > Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 6:30 AM > To: Berin Loritsch > Cc: Cocoon > Subject: Re: [RT] Alternatives to sitemap > > > What is wrong with the Sitemap > > ------------------------------ > > > I have already voiced the opinion that the sitemap mixes too many > > concerns (component type declarations, etc.). > > Here I totally agree. > > SoC is a pretty hard thing to do, expecially when you are pioneering new > ground. Cool. > > There is also a problem with it being a single point of failure. > > Here, I disagree. > > You are calling a contract a "single point of failure". Is it? Of > course, it must be. A solid contract allows two separate entities to > work together. No. I call the Compiled Sitemap a single point of failure. If the sitemap doesn't compile, the site doesn't work. It's that simple. Sometimes the sitemap won't compile for some seemingly mysterious reason. It is my personal opinion that transforming an XML file into a Java class is inherently bad, and is nearly impossible to debug without intimate knowledge of the transformation process. > The serious issue here (besides implementation problems I already > explained) is who is in control of the sitemap: just like you wouldn't > allow servlet users to change the servlet API as they need, the sitemap > should be handled by a special team which is responsible to design the > site and manage it. I agree with this statement. I am merely stating that the Sitemap as it now stands does not correctly or neatly meet this requirement. > The three original concern islands (content, logic, style) become four > > design > / | \ > content logic style > > and there must be no contracts (so no direct interation) between the > three underlying groups, but all should pass thru the design area that > is in charge of controlling and managing the contracts (thus the maps). I am trying to outline methods to achieve this separation, yet be friendly to developers. The Sitemap as it stands mixes things together that IMO don't belong together. > > Just look at all the messages on Cocoon Users with the > > "The sitemap handler's sitemap is not available" errors. > > If the sitemap does not compile correctly, the whole site is dead. > > This is an implementation issue. With interpretation, you would be able > to isolate mistakes and avoid performing a single URI mapping, perhaps, > but without killing the entire site. > > Compilation is the point of failure here, not the sitemap design. As stated before, the sitemap as it stands mixes too many concerns. I am trying to propose a way that satisfies the original intent of the sitemap, yet expose functionality to those who need it. Actions need to be specified somewhere, but relying on an administrator to know what actions need to be handled by what URL is asking an Administrator to take on a Developer's concern. > > Also there is little security enforced, and the ability to extend > > the file mapping outside the Servlet's Context. These are bad things. > > Careful, you are misinterpreting design limitations for design faults. > > Jon is against mapping. It reminds me of my early choices that lead to > Cocoon1 reactor pattern and PI chains. Do you want to go back to that > spaghetti mess? No. I want an enforceable contract that behaves predictably. Many times, URIs are specified in groups--so I don't have a problem here. > > It should _never_ be Cocoon's responsibility to mimic all the things > > that Apache HTTPD can do. > > Sure, but sometimes you can't avoid that, expecially if Apache > architecture is not even close to be powerful enough to support our > technological requirements (think of SAX pipelining between Apache > modules, it will take decades to happen). That's why I wanted to specify pipelines, and a URL mapping facility that referenced those pipelines. > > Allowing any kind of access outside of the Servlet spec approved areas > > (the context directory and the repository) is a violation of security > > constraints and portability requirements in the servlet spec. > > I agree, this is why we need a CMS, unfortunately none is powerful > enough for our needs. The sitemap allows this BTW. This is part of the security I was talking about earlier. > > The sitemap is the most complex piece in the entire Cocoon system, > > and as a result, it is difficult for new users to comprehend it. > > True, but when they do, they understand the entire thing, unlike > previously with Cocoon1 which was "magic art" all the way to the metal, > even for expert users. > > > They spend too much time trying to understand the Sitemap, > > and not enough time trying to solve problems. > > In a development environment, this is not acceptable. > > You blame the sitemap for this. I would rather blame your enviornment's > organization. I understand your point, but if we can come up with a solution that reduces the size of the learning curve, it will only help in Cocoon's adoption. > If you people wanted to take your existing organization, place Cocoon in > the middle, and see all the problems magically disappear, well, sorry > but I still have to see a software architecture that allows this. Problems change--but if I can reduce the ramp up time, I can increase my company's support for Cocoon, which in turn increases knowledge of how to use it. It is a circle that really serves to help everyone because I *know* I am not alone in it. > > It is very frustrating because any time I tell them "I have set up > > the Sitemap for you, ignore it for now", I find that they are > > still obsessing with it. > > Yes, I experienced this myself. But this "obsession" was created by the > lack of confidence in the work organization, lack of "concern coverage". > A sort of mismanagement that is percieved as bad by people who feel they > lack solidity in their contracts with their environment. I agree. > > The Sitemap as it stands is *too* powerful, and my developers > > are tempted to try to use it to solve their problems. > > Correct. Just like they'd rather write code into markup even if this > makes it a pain in the butt to manage later on. > > Programmers are lazy butts. We all are. But we know from experience (we > wouldn't be using Java after all, nor be Avalon lovers, in fact) that > thinking first saves you time later. > > Developers should *NOT* be granted access to the sitemap. > > Period. When they are set up with a test system on their own machine, they see it. They want to play with it. Our development environment requires that each developer work independantly so that when one developer breaks something, it does not affect anyone else. We have been burned with that before. > > It is my belief that anything simply read from a filesystem should > > be handled by HTTP daemons like Apache, TUX, or whatever you use. > > They are better optimized for it, and it reduces the load on the JVM. > > Agreed. In fact, as soon as Apache 2.0 is final (and a JVM can be placed > inside the server process, being multithreaded) I'd plan to consider > making a more apache-specific interface to Apache's internal machinery > to improve performance. > > But again, this is an implementation detail and doesn't impact the > design of the sitemap. > > > We still need Readers for resources that cannot be reached via the > > filesystem (i.e. the DatabaseReader). > > yes, but again, apache is better suited for this as well. > > > What should we do? > > ------------------ > > > We should persue Stefano's FlowMap idea, as well as use more > > formalized definitions of a pipeline. > > Interesting. > > > Now, let's talk about how this all works together. We have a > > default URL-MAP that handles URI mapping, and takes care of > > mounting the flow maps. The filters and pipelines are simply > > resources that are used in the map files--they can and should > > be contained in separate files. > > I like this concept of separating pipelines definitions in different > files, sounds like a better componentization approach and for sure > improves SoC in the design area as well, since pipeline componentization > is more programming oriented than creating a flow. > > Hmmmm, sounds very promising. Aha! Now you see where I am going with this. > > The Flow Map is a bit different. It configures the pipeline and > > filters for all the resources--this is a development speed savings. > > After all, all the resources in a form are going to remain the same. > > You will also notice the attributes of the Flowmap. > > Many forms are only allowed to people with the proper roles. > > That is why the "protected" attribute and the "permit-roles" are > > present. When a flow map is protected, we check the Request > > "isUserInRole" method to find out if a user can access the resource. > > After the resources are defined, we see the <flow/> entry. > > The "start" attribute determines where normal flow starts, and the > > "access-denied" attribute gives determines the resource to use to > > handle when a user is not in the proper role. Lastly, we have the > > entries that determine where flow moves. There are three ways of > > determining the next action in a flow: > > * The "next" attribute > * The "exit" attribute > * The "choice" element > > What about "back"? We can add this. > > The "next" and "exit" attributes function similarly, as they specify a > > static destination. They differ in that the "next" attribute specifies > > a resource and the "exit" attribute specifies a URL. > > Why so? (just curious) It could be possible to specify a special next="exit" so that we return to the point where the flowmap was added. The reason I specified the exit attribute as a URL is that it references something outside the concern space of the FlowMap. It will reference a resource that is not declared in the FlowMap, and that was the safest way I could come up with. > > The "choice" element allows you to specify a Request parameter to > > inspect for a selection of destinations. You must provide a default > > value so that the flow is never broken. The default is chosen if the > > parameter specified does not exist or does not contain any of the > > specified values. > > Great ideas, Berin. Great thinkgs to work on. I'll digest them a little, > play with it and try to come up with some comments in the near future. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: email@example.com For additional commands, email: email@example.com
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(The following review contains spoilers about the first season of "Looking.")
By the time the inaugural season of "Looking" is over, every viewer will have fashioned a hierarchy for the characters. For a show about a circle of friends, it won't settle for parity among the storylines, inadvertently begging us to gab about which of the central figures we deem most detestable. Is it Patrick, the videogame designer who spends the series' opening moments "cruising" for an outdoor hand job that gets curtailed by cold hands and an ill-timed phone call? How about Dom, the budding restaurateur who's stuck somewhere between being the group's maturity compass and its battered soul? Or perhaps Agustin, the adrift artist with a habit of landing in stilted predicaments that convince no one but himself of his stability?
If those descriptions don't sound kind, it's because the show takes a hard-line approach to much of its characterization, almost as if it doesn't want you to like these gentlemen. But the disparate nature of the three men's personalities is what makes their unlikely friendship all the more enjoyable. Our protagonists are at different phases in their lives, yet whatever character constraints "Looking" contains, creator Michael Lannan (who based the show on his short film "Lorimer") and writer/director Andrew Haigh (of 2011's poignant "Weekend") don't let us linger when we question the authenticity of their dynamic. Viewers' character hierarchy will vary from one to the next (mine goes: Dom - Patrick - Aug, if you couldn't tell from the earlier descriptions). Even if the mandated pecking order distracts from the narrative, what's consistent is that "Looking" is not reduced to Grindr-hopping, parade-going San Francisco stereotypes, even if that summary is entirely apt. Because there's enough originality, there's no eye-rolling needed when the men attend a street fair with a leather-only dress code or engage in clichéd anonymous hookups. We don't need diatribes about marriage equality to make their plights feel genuine -- their routine interactions do the trick.
As the narrative nucleus, Patrick (a beguiling Jonathan Groff) earns the show's opening moments and a standalone episode that doubles as a 30-minute insight into his burgeoning relationship with Richie (Raul Castillo), the stud he meets on the bus after a terrible date. Even with a protagonist who dominates, "Looking" is effective in convincing us that its characters exist both within Patrick's orb and outside of it. By the time that breakout installment arrives, in which Patrick and Richie traipse around San Francisco instead of going to work, Dom (Murray Bartlett) and Aug (Frankie J. Alvarez) are developed independently enough not to deflate the episode to needless diversion.
The best moments in "Looking" offer a group of gay men who don't look anything like the eccentrics who populate sitcoms with punch lines as equally as they do potpourri. What's even more resilient than a trite discussion about media stereotypes is this: The "Looking" we see by the time the first season ends is not a replica of what we encountered in the pilot. My feelings about each of the storylines paraded out at the start took U-turns by the finale. I applaud the show for introducing itself that way.
When I extolled Patrick in Episode 4 for not hooking up with his hunky boss Kevin (Russell Tovey, whose every inflection is purposeful) amid chatter about a boyfriend of two years, I didn't expect to be cheering him on as their bodies grinded in the finale. It's hard to discern whether that's the reaction the writers wanted, seeing as Patrick spends the first seven episodes fawning over a deepening connection with Richie, who's only his second boyfriend. (At 29, Patrick's age is a refreshing contradiction to his lack of experience.) "Looking" seems to want desperately for us to embrace the relationship, but the winds of Richie's sail blew me farther off course as the season progressed. When he terminates their first sexual encounter because Patrick mistakenly notes that Richie's Mexican penis isn't uncut like his friends joked it would be, Richie's unwillingness to sympathize with the gag is just as frustrating as Patrick's affable inability to shut his mouth.
Some will adore Richie because he seems earnest, but I didn't buy it. In one episode he's telling the uptight Patrick to relax more, and later he's storming off because Patrick's nerves about introducing a boyfriend to his parents for the first time make him fussy. By the time Richie's huffy departure leaves Patrick to attend his sister's wedding without a date, I wasn't even in the boat anymore. More grating than endearing, it makes Richie the token minority in a show that revolves around minorities. His intrigue in the pilot, for me, was absent by the finale. It's not that Patrick is above reproach -- I found him relatable in the aforementioned wedding ordeal, but I understand if you protest -- but I'm not convinced we should idolize Richie simply because his modesty and self-assurance are inconsistent with Patrick and his pals. The writers play the martyr card with that character too often, and here I am doting on a minor player instead of discussing our other two leads. In short, Patrick is intelligent enough not to be rendered hapless solely because of his limited relationship experience.
The central trio has a weak link, too, though: Aug. The newly 40-year-old Dom emerges, in his turbulence with semi-suitor Lynn (the wonderful Scott Bakula) and his midlife disorientation, as the most layered and enjoyable character. But Aug is a stock personality: the lost artist. You won't know it in the first episode because his plot is disguised as character development. He moves out of Patrick's apartment and in with his boyfriend Frank (O.T. Fagbenle), which simulates progress. Instead, Aug hires a $220-an-hour hustler to have sex with Frank while he films it for an art project. (Aug initially omits the price tag.) By the time Aug withdraws from his art show and admits his blunder to Frank, it's too late. We've already dismissed the show's attempt to make him the troubled vagrant whose foibles stem from selfishness. It's one step forward, two steps back for Aug's stability, and he becomes an insufferable caricature by the season's end. I'm not convinced Dom and Patrick would be able to stand Aug without constantly eviscerating his actions.
In spite of some mismanaged characterization, "Looking" still succeeds in feeling fresh. It's brimming with new energy, as though this is a story that truly hasn't been told on TV before. Even with low-lit camerawork that's akin to an Instagram filter, its San Francisco setting offers a less grimy tone than New York scenery would. The show is less of a comedy than HBO would have you believe -- it could use a few more laughs in Season 2 -- but its lack of contrivances is stimulating. We're invested in these men because their storylines feel like something we'd see in our own lives, and, for better or worse, we all know a Patrick, a Dom and perhaps even an Aug.
With slick writing ("At 40, Grindr emails you a death certificate") that employs callbacks to various references within the show (including two adorable "Golden Girls" moments), Season 1 left me wanting more. Richie and Patrick's tearful breakup presents the latter with a clean slate, and in turn we accept that these eight episodes can hit the refresh button on his stamina. (HBO has already announced that Richie will return in Season 2, which I'll make peace with only if his role is less dad-like.) When Aug gets the invective he needed from Frank and moves back in with Patrick, it's the wake-up call we demanded he receive. There's ample material to leave us invested in this show because the characters, including minor players like Patrick's straight friend Owen (Andrew Law) and Dom's sassy roommate Doris (Lauren Weedman), feel like they could be our acquaintances too.
"Looking" strives hard to be a character show. At times, it works too intensely to position the viewer among its plots. Struggling to find yourself -- whether at 20-something or during a mid-life crisis -- may produce delusions, but it doesn't come without heart. The show knows to weave that yarn into its fabric, and it mostly succeeds. "Looking" provides what its title implies: a tale about friends who find support in their surroundings, no matter how much searching they have to do.


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Was incredibly busy last week but still managed to fit in a shoot at the local skate park in Weymouth, The Front. I got the job by hearing about an all night sponsored event that was being organised to raise money for new ramps and general upkeep.
If I am honest, I just wanted to opportunity to practice a combination of high speed night photography, off camera flash and the chance of earning a few bob. I shot from around 7.30pm to close to midnight and ended up with over 400 images to process. Not only that, I also shot a few hundred video clips as I also wanted to home my video skills including slow motion and night shooting.
I used the Canon EOS 5D Mark II for the photography and the beautiful Sony PMW EX1 for video, shot at 720p at 60fps which would be slowed to 24fps (frames per second) during post production in order to slow down the footage by 2.5 times.
Sometimes you just have to go to a job thinking it may not make any money but my experience, skills and portfolio will benefit regardless. As it happens, I have already made a few print sales with more to come but more importantly than that, I have made new contacts and will hopefully doing a lot more established and organised jobs for them in the future.
If you are just starting out, it is worth grabbing the bull by the horns and simply getting out and about asking for work…paid or unpaid. Anything you do could eventually lead to more regular work but it won't come to you! Get out and about and start looking around your area for similar events and just do it!
Here is a slideshow I made up for the event which includes a mix of stills and video clips…


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March 16, 2009 will go down in history as either an important day in gay and lesbian relationships or, if you're like me, it'll be just another Monday.
I'm not a regular Ellen TV show watcher, the show's just a bit too light entertainment for me, but Ellen herself is one of the funniest comedians around, so I'll watch once in a while.
I was very interested when Ellen announced that she would be having her partner and wife, Portia de Rossi, on the show. Not because she's Ellen's partner but because she's kind of the 'forgotten' Aussie in America. She's not known in Australia in the same way as Nicole Kidman or Simon Baker or even Julian McMahon whom Portia stared alongside in the US TV show Nip/Tuck. Perhaps it's her openness about being a lesbian or perhaps it's because she's mostly played supporting roles rather than lead, I don't know? Whatever the reason she's been consistently working as an actress in the USA since she first appeared on the US TV show Alley Mcbeal in 1998.
Hence to see her on Ellen's show last Monday was something to look forward to. Especially since she has a new comedy show premiering called Better Off Ted.
I've never seen Portia do comedy. She's known for playing cold but determined and driven female characters and, by the sounds of things, Better Off Ted isn't going to be a stretch other than the comedy angle.
Anyway, if Ellen and Portia's rehearsal video, which aired on Ellen's show the Friday prior to the interview, is anything to go by Portia's fantastic at comedy. In fact I found the rehearsal video to be even more interesting and fun than the official interview.
The official interview on the Monday was a lot of fun too and Portia stayed on to play a round of the Newly Wed Game and to sing Sonny and Cher's, I got you babe. You can see those clips on Ellen's TV show site.
Getting back to my opening sentence, for those of you that feel Ellen and Portia's appearance together on TV as a happily married, same sex couple was a milestone, you may like to read Ellen DeGeneres interviews Portia de Rossi, who "also happens to be my wife" from Gay and Lesbian web site, After Ellen.
I can see how Ellen and Portia are helping to bring same sex relationships into main stream acceptance without being too in your face about it. Sort of a softly, softly approach. However I don't want to go into that too much here. Sure it was a lot of fun seeing Ellen interviewing her partner/wife but really I was just interested to finally see Portia being herself, having never seen her in an interview before.
South Australian Artist, Writer, Video Producer and Animator, David Arandle working under the pseudonym 'The Extraordinary Tourist' or 'TET' for short, blogs about Art, Life, Social Issues, humor, Internet/Technology, Movies, Entertainment, World Issues, Business, People/Places and more.
Ellen DeGeneres Interviews Portia de Rossi
Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009
In Posts About: Humor, Movies and Entertainment, News and Events
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text:
W.B.A. Internation Selection
Congratulations to the following players on their selection to represent Wales in the forthcoming B.I.B.C. International Series at Llandrindod Wells B.C.
- Roger Jones - Panteg Park
- Steve Harris - R.T.B. Ebbw Vale
- Chris Klefenz - Beaufort
- Danny Davies Jnr. - Beaufort
- Richard Underwood - R.T.B. Ebbw Vale
- Owain Dando - R.T.B. Ebbw Vale
- Jon Tomlinson - R.T.B. Ebbw Vale
The series takes place between the 30th June and 3rd July.
See the Full International side here